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I feel like the parents don't trust me
I've babysitting a 7 year old boy for almost 2 years. The parents are very nice but I kind of feel like they don't trust me. A few months ago I was babysitting for them late at night and before they left, they made a very big deal out of it. They kept telling me to lock the door and not open it for anyone (like I don't already know that) and gave me their cell numbers even though I already have them and told me to call if anything happens. I was really confused because they were acting like they were really worried and this wasn't the first time I've babysat for them, and nothing ever happened to the little boy while I was there. Last week I was babysitting him in the morning and someone knocked on the door. I told him that we shouldn't answer because we were alone, but the person kept knocking for literally about 5 minutes and wouldn't leave. The little boy kept telling me to open it and I wouldn't, and he started to cry and get scared when the person kept knocking. So I kind of panicked, and told him to stay in the living room while I answered the door. I talked to the person through the screen door and he wanted to talk to the boy's dad. I said he wasn't home and the guy gave me a business card and told me to give it to him. So when the boy's mom got home I showed her the card and she said "Oh, that guy came?" So she obviously knew he was going to come and I don't know why she didn't tell me (other families I've babysat for always told me if they were expecting someone to come to the house). I babysat him again a couple days ago, and his mom told me over and over again not to answer the door for anyone. She never really gave me a chance to explain why I answered the door the last time. They do want me to keep babysitting for them, but they treat me like I don't know what I'm doing. So how can I get them to trust me?
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You probably can't get them to stop nattering at you about the door, but that doesn't mean they don't trust you. They simply feel better repeating themselves. When someone is paying you to do a job, it's best to just suck it up and listen to them, even if you already know everything they are saying. It's thier money after all. They are entitled to wasting a bit of your time.
Don't take it too personally.
This whole thing with the expected person and the constant knocking sounds a bit fishy... I wouldn't be suprised if there was a reason, that has absolutely nothing to do with you, that they don't want you anwsering the door.
Or maybe they are just anal.
The best thing you can do, is not answer the door. When you are in charge a child's discomfort should NEVER cause you do something unsafe. It was unsafe to answer the door. You would have been better off dealing with his tears, putting in a movie or playing a favorite game or music then opening the door.
If they still want you to babysit, you really don't have a problem. That means they DO trust you. Just listen to them respectfully as the natter on about the door, and if such a situation happens agian, be strong and don't give in to the childs tears but stick to the house rules.
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I'm going be the devil's advocate here and say that you were wrong in handling the situation where the guy kept knocking. At least partially. Talking to the guy through the door is okay, provided it stayed locked. You shouldn't have said that the boy's father wasn't home though. You were lucky, they WERE actually expecting the guy to arrive. Maybe they expected him in a day or two, since the mother seemed surprised that the guy was there. He could have been anyone, trying to get in the house, and could have lied. That's probably why they're telling you over and over, because nowadays you really can never be too careful.
But, they're still hiring you to babysit their kid. Because of this I am 100% sure that they trust you. Otherwise, they wouldn't hire you anymore. Their son is, well, their son. And they want him to be safe. So do NOT open the door for anyone. Even who you think is the mailman needing a signature for a certified letter. Yes, it seems like being paranoid. But really, I could take my mom's old uniform from the post office, show up at someone's house, and they might open the door for a complete stranger who might be robbing their house.
If they are expecting someone to arrive, suggest to the parents that they establish a "code word" or whatever it's called. Like say her sister is coming over with a box of clothes, have her tell you the word asparagus [Use something weird and unexpected. Maybe disambiguation or panda] and you know to let her in. It sounds ridiculous but it's actually a good system, and will also show that you're serious about safety and abiding by their wishes.
Best of luck! =]
-LM
[16/f]
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It's hard for parents to leave their children with anyone, even their own (older) kids. So the fact that they keep asking you to babysit means that they must hold quite a bit of trust toward you. It may seem otherwise, especially since each time they go over the same instructions. But this is probably because they don't want something to happen and then regret not re-informing you. Repeating the rules is probably their way of consoling themselves before leaving their kids in the hands of someone else.
I do think that you should talk to them and explain the scenario you spoke of in the question. Perhaps you could talk to them after your next babysitting gig, or even call and ask for a convenient time to come over for 5 minutes. Tell them exactly what you said here, that you answered the door because you were in a panic and thought it would be the best thing. And make sure you tell them you appreciate that they want you to babysit for them.
The bottom line, though, is that because they want you to keep babysitting for them, it's highly doubtful that they DON'T trust you. Best wishes.
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